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Contemporary Comestibles Quiz: Culinary Collisions

by Michael Y. Park

on 07/28/11 at 09:00 AM

1. Last weekend, Nick Kujawa, the owner of the Taco del Sol in Butte, Montana, complained that he may simply close down his restaurant for three days next year after his restaurant's deck was struck and damaged by ...a) a herd of buffalo that get loose from a local ranch in search for water during hot summer days. b) a rowdy motorcyclist from the annual Evel Knievel festival.c) high-school students who try to steal the giant plastic taco on his roof every year at graduation.d) Harry Potter fans picketing for an annual Harry Potter marathon at the theater next door.

2. McDonald's on Tuesday unveiled plans to make its Happy Meals healthier by reducing the number of calories to under 600, trimming down french-fry portions from 2.4 ounces to 1.1 ounces, and removing the caramel sauce from its sliced-apple side dish, among other things. But McDonald's USA President Jan Field noted they still wouldn't meet San Francisco nutrition rules because ...a) they don't include a serving of vegetables.b) they contain too much sodium.c) San Franciso laws forbid the use of clowns in marketing.d) McDonald's restaurants don't display a three-foot placard detailing the environmental effects of a meat-based diet.

3. In 2006, it took six days and 65,000 one-foot-square tiles in the desert outside Rachel, Nev., to create a picture visible from space. What was it?a) A tamale, part of an effort to make it the official state food.b) A picture of the buffet at the Circus Circus casino, part of a hotel promotion. c) A Fool's Gold Loaf (i.e., the Elvis banana, peanut butter, and bacon sandwich), part of an effort to make that the official state food.d) An advertisment for the rebranded KFC with the new logo of Colonel Sanders.

4. "There's a trickle-down economics at play ... and ultimately that trickle reaches us." That partially edited quote was said on Monday by who, and about what?a) A cashier at Ben's Chili Bowl in Washington, D.C., about the interminable debt-ceiling fight.b) A cafeteria worker at the News Corp. headquarters in New York City, about the News of the World phone-hacking scandal.c) The CEO of Pizza Hut, about the end of the NFL lockout.d) A London entrepreneur, about Amy Winehouse fans gathering at the home where she died, which happens to be near his chip shop.

5. Which of the following was an Anthony Bourdain line edited out of a recent broadcast of No Reservations that took place in Naples?a) "With that, Vincenzo slurps down his noodles like an ancient Norwegian sucking down mead from an ox horn as the longboats of his enemies burn around him."b) "The difference between American red sauce and real marinara is the difference between a Tea Bagger and a member of the Boston Tea Party."c) "With the sea chucking up like Amy Winehouse at happy hour, Rocco dives straight into the dark water off the rocks."d) "Ferran Adria? [Expletive deleted] Ferran Adria. Talking molecular gastronomy here is like bringing Ron Jeremy to a germophobe orgy. Someone at some point is going to complain about the curly hair in their [expletive deleted]."

2. a. She said it's possible Happy Meals might be changed to include vegetables in the next five years. (San Francisco's laws also place restrictions on toy giveaways in meals marketed to kids. McDonald's said that Happy Meals will continue to include toys, and will remain the same price. Which makes you wonder if this is just a brilliant way to spin the fact that they're increasing profit by giving you less food.)

4. c. The full quote by Pizza Hut's Scott Bergren was: "There's a trickle-down economics at play with NFL economics, and ultimately that trickle reaches us. Ending the lockout is very important to our fans and to our business."